Installation tool

ABSTRACT

The tool is used to slip a flat flange-containing cover strip into two parallel facing grooves. The cover is passed through the tool which has a flared tubular body. The flat shape of the cover strip is converted into a curved configuration so that the flanges of the cover will slide into the parallel grooves.

I Umted States Patent 1 [111 3,772,758

Smith [451 Nov. 20, 1973 [54] INSTALLATION TOOL 3,087,654 4/1963 Moore425/458 [75] Inventor: Albert L. Smith, Lancaster, Pa. FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee; Armstrong Cork Company, 1,020,593 11/1952France 29/235 Lancaster, Pa. [22] Filed: N0 29 1971 PrimaryExaminer-Othell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters [21] Appl.No.: 202,835 Attorney-Clifford B. Price [52] US. Cl. 29/235 57 ABSTRACT[51] Int. Cl B23p 19/02 58 Field of Search 29/235, 270 224, The a flatflange'ccmmmg cover 29/453 451 225 230 425/458 strip into two parallelfacing grooves. The cover is passed through the tool which has a flaredtubular [56] References Cited body. The flat shape of the cover strip isconverted into a curved configuration so that the flanges of the UNITEDSTATES PATENTS cover will slide into the parallel grooves. 2,761,1999/1956 Allen 29/235 2,770,032 11/1956 Kell 29/235 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Fures PATENIEDNDYZO ms 3.772.758

' ALBERT L.SM|TH I ATTORNEY INSTALLATION TOOL CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATION The tool is used to insert the cover strip into the groovestructure set forth in copending commonly assigned U. S. applicationSer. No. 153,508, filed June 16, 1971, entitled Joint Construction forCeiling Panels, filed in the name of John R. Davey et al.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention isdirected to an installation tool and, more particularly, to a tool forinstalling a component part of a ceiling system.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past, the cover structures suchas shown in the above-mentioned copending U. S. application were placedinto parallel facing groove structures by inserting the one edge of thecover in one groove and then bending the body of the cover so that theflange on the opposite side of the cover would slide into the oppositegroove. On some occasions, an individual would pinch the two flangeedges of the cover together to bow the normallyflat center portion ofthe cover and then .in-

sert the flanges of the cover into the parallel grooves.

The releasing of the pressure which is causing the center portion of thecover to be bowed would permit the two flanges to slide into theparallel grooves.

To date, no tool has yet been provided in the art for rapidly slippingan element into two parallel groove structures wherein the element mustbe squeezed together to facilitate the placing of flanges on the elementinto the parallel groove structures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The tool used for installing a flanged coverstrip into two parallel grooves has a tubular body configuration. Ahandle is connected to the body to assist in the movement of the toolbody. The inlet end of the tool has an oval configuration which is sizedto approximately the relaxed-state width of the cover strip. The ovalconfiguration gradually changes to a round configuration at the exit endof the tool, said round configuration being about equal in width to thespacing between the openings of the two parallel grooves. The tool bendsthe normally flat section of the cover strip into an arcuateconfiguration so that the flange structures of the cover strip can heslid into two parallel grooves which are normally placed in a ceilingboard on either side of the region through which staples are passed tofasten the ceiling board in position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a top view of the tool;

FIG. II is a side view of the tool;

FIG. III is an end view of the tool with the cover strip insertedtherein; and

FIG. IV is an end view of a ceiling board with the cover strip insertedtherein and an end of the cover strip inserted into the tool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. I and FIG.11, there is shown the general construction of the installation toolherein. A handle 2 is provided to assist the user in grasping theinstrument and for moving it along the cover strip which is the same inconstruction as that shownas element 15 in the above-mentioned copendingapplication. The main body 4 of the tool is a tubular structure. Theinlet end 6 of the body, that is, the end that the cover strip isinserted into, is generally oval in crosssection. The oval cross-sectiongradually changes to a round configuration about the middle and towardsthe end of the tool body. The back upper side 8 of the tubular body iscut away, and the tool is usually used with the side 8 being runparallel to the surface into which the cover strip is to be inserted.This permits the tool to be heldin the manner shown in FIG. II whereinthe entrance or inlet opening 6 is slopedaway from the area into whichthe strip is to be inserted. This will facilitate the handling of thestrip and tool wherein the strip is fed into the entrance of the tool,compressed in its .width dimension, and exits from thetool in closeproximity to the area into which it is to be mounted.

Referring now to FIG. III, the round configuration 10 is generally theconfiguration of the tool from its midregion to its exit opening. Whileit is true that a portion of the tool is cut away at 8 so that the exitend of the tool is not a true circle, the tool functions as if the fullcircular configuration were there and it holds the cover strip in itscompressed state. As shown in FIG. III, the normally flat area 12 of thecover strip is bowed into a compressed state. The diameter of thecircular section 10 is about equal to the distance between the openingsof the two parallel facing grooves into which the strip is to be placed.The inlet opening 6' of the tool has an oval configuration which is in'width at its major. axis about equal to that of thestrip in itsunstressed or flat -state.'Consequently, as the strip is moved fromthe'inlet opening 6 to the cross-sectional configuration 10, the shapeof the strip changes from the cross-sectional shape shown at inletopening 6 to the shape shown generally by the line 14.

Referring now to FIG. IV, it may be possible to see a little better howthe tool operates. A ceiling board 16 is provided with a region 18 intowhich staples are driven. This could be any type of structure whereinthere is a region which it is desired to conceal. On either side of thesurface 18 there is provided two generally facing parallel grooves 20.These grooves are provided to receive the flanges on the cover stripwhich conceals the region 18. The cover strip generally has the relaxedunbowed configuration which is shown by the end 21 of the strip. Herethe strip has its unbowed center region 22 and the two flanges 24 whichare inserted into the grooves 20 to hold the strip in place. Theinstallation tool tubular body 4 is generally shown in FIG. IV. The exitdiameter of the tool must be about equal to the width between point 26and point 28, which are the openings of the two parallel grooves. Inorder to readily insert the cover strip into the grooves, the ends ofthe flanges must be forced together so that the distance from the twoends of the flanges is less than the distance between points 26 and 28.When this condition exists, the ends of the flanges 24 can then slipdown past the points 26 and 28 and then snap into the grooves 20. It isthe tool 4 which compresses the cover strip so that the flanges are insuch a condition as to get past points 26 and 28. The natural resiliencyof the strip causes it to resume its normal flat condition after it hasexited a short distance from the tool.

With the tool above-described and utilized in the mannerabove-described, it is possible for the ordinary production worker totake the ceiling joint and cover strip structure as shown in theabove-mentioned copending application and to rapidly install it inposition in a mobile home structure or other similar type structure. Thecover strip can be rapidly installed in position and can be installed inplace with the minimum stresses being placed on the board structure. Theboard structure, generally being made of a fiberboard product, would besusceptible to damage should excessive forces be used to insert thecover strip in position. The tool herein affords a rapid and easytechnique for getting the cover strip inserted into the parallel groovestructures of a conventional ceiling board.

What is claimed is:

1. An installation tool for inserting a generally flat cover strip, withflanges thereon, into two parallel, generally facing, groove structuresto provide an assembled unit wherein the generally flat cover strip isheld in position by having its flanges inserted into the parallelgrooves, the said tool being composed of a general body portion, and ahandle attached thereto to permit manipulation of the body portion ofthe tool, said body portion of the tool having an inlet opening which isgenerally oval in configuration and an exit opening which is generallycircular in configuration, said oval configuration having a major axiswhich is about equal to the width of the cover strip in its unstressedstate, said round exit opening of the tool having a size which is muchless than the width of the unstressed cover strip and about the distancebetween the openings of the two parallel grooves so that the cover stripis compressed to permit its flanges to slide into the parallel grooves,and said interior of said body portion being of a continuous walltubular construction without any recesses therein.

2. The installation tool of claim 1 wherein a portion of the tooladjacent the exit opening is partly cut away so as to permit the toolbody portion to be inclined slightly relative to the plane of thesurface containing the two parallel grooves.

3. The installation tool of claim 2 wherein the longitudinal axis of thehandle is inclined at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bodyportion.

4. An installation tool for inserting a generally flat cover strip, withflanges thereon, into two parallel, generally facing, groove structuresto provide an assembled unit, said tool having a body portion having anoval inlet opening and a circular exit opening, said body portion beingof tubular construction with a continuous interior wall without anyrecesses therein, said inlet opening has a major axis which is aboutequal to the width of the cover strip in its unstressed state, saidcircular exit opening having a size which is much less than the width ofthe unstressed cover strip and about the size of the distance betweenthe openings of the two parallel groove structures.

5. The installation tool of claim 4 wherein the tool is provided with ahandle which is slightly inclined relative to a line perpendicular tothe axis of the body portion.

6. The installation tool of claim 5 wherein a portion of the bodyportion adjacent the exit opening is partly cut away so as to permit thetool body portion to be inclined slightly relative to the plane of thesurface containing the two parallel groove structures.

1. An installation tool for inserting a generally flat cover strip, withflanges thereon, into two parallel, generally facing, groove structuresto provide an assembled unit wherein the generally flat cover strip isheld in position by having its flanges inserted into the parallelgrooves, the said tool being composed of a general body portion, and ahandle attached thereto to permit manipulation of the body portion ofthe tool, said body portion of the tool having an inlet opening which isgenerally oval in configuration and an exit opening which is generallycircular in configuration, said oval configuration having a major axiswhich is about equal to the width of the cover strip in its unstressedstate, said round exit opening of the tool having a size which is muchless than the width of the unstressed cover strip and about the distancebetween the openings of the two parallel grooves so that the cover stripis compressed to permit its flanges to slide into the parallel grooves,and said interior of said body portion being of a continuous walltubular construction without any recesses therein.
 2. The installationtool of claim 1 wherein a portion of the tool adjacent the exit openingis partly cut away so as to permit the tool body portion to be inclinedslightly relative to the plane of the surface containing the twoparallel grooves.
 3. The installation tool of claim 2 wherein thelongitudinal axis of the handle is inclined at an angle to thelongitudinal axis of the body portion.
 4. An installation tool forinserting a generally flat cover strip, with flanges thereon, into twoparallel, generally facing, groove structures to provide an assembledunit, said tool having a body portion having an oval inlet opening and acircular exit opening, said body portion being of tubular constructionwith a continuous interior wall without any recesses therein, said inletopening has a major axis which is about equal to the width of the coverstrip in its unstressed state, said circular exit opening having a sizewhich is much less than the width of the unstressed cover strip andabout the size of the distance between the openings of the two parallelgroove structures.
 5. The installation tool of claim 4 wherein the toolis provided with a handle which is slightly inclined relative to a lineperpendicular to the axis of the body portion.
 6. The installation toolof claim 5 wherein a portion of the body portion adjacent the exitopening is partly cut away so as to permit the tool body portion to beinclined slightly relative to the plane of the surface containing thetwo parallel groove structures.